3.1.5 Effects of plateau pika disturbance on the soil total
nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium stocks
The soil total nitrogen and total phosphorus stocks were significantly
affected by site and disturbance, whereas they were not affected by the
interactions between site and disturbance. The soil total potassium
stock was found to be affected only by the site (Table 1).
Accounting for an overall scale effect, the soil total nitrogen and the
total phosphorus stocks in the disturbed plot were higher than those in
the undisturbed plot (Figure. 5A;
Figure. 5C), whereas the soil total potassium stock was not different
between the disturbed and undisturbed plots (Figure. 5E). Accounting for
a site-scale effect, plateau pika disturbance increased the soil total
nitrogen stock at Gangcha, Haiyan and Qilian (Figure. 5B) and the soil
total phosphorus stock at Luqu and Gonghe (Figure. 5D), whereas it had
no impact on the soil total nitrogen stock at Luqu and Gonghe or the
soil total phosphorus stock at Gangcha, Haiyan and Qilian; plateau pika
disturbance had a similar effect on the soil total potassium stock at
each site (Figure. 5F).